Articulated machines such as, for example, wheeled loaders and site dumpers are machines that use articulation of the body to steer the machine in particular directions. The machine is commonly divided into a front portion and a rear portion that at a neutral machine position are aligned with one another both vertically and horizontally. Such machines may be provided with pivot joints that allow a first front portion of the machine to be connected with a rear portion of the machine in such a manner that the front and rear portions can articulate and oscillate relative to one another. Articulation may thereby be described as that movement wherein the front and rear sections move relative to one another in a sideways manner. Oscillation may be described as that movement wherein the front and rear sections move relative to one another in an up-wards or downwards direction. Of course the two forms of movement may interact simultaneously.
Current designs, however, do tend to have taller structures due to several reasons; A larger size machine places large demands on the pivot and bearing arrangement as all forces between the two frame structures are guided through the pivot joints. To create a pivot moment large enough to handle all the forces placed on the joints, it is desirable to allow sufficient distance between the various joints. This, however, does tend to increase the size and especially the height of the machine as the lowest portion of the cab has to be placed above some of the bearing arrangement. Hence, one disadvantage associated with the prior art is that it fails to provide an arrangement allowing low overall machine heights while maintaining structural integrity.
The current disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.